Bell 47D1 accident near Louisville, Kentucky, July 2, 1982
On July 2, 1982 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Bell 47D1 (helicopter), registered N929B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Louisville, Kentucky. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1982 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47D1 · all 47D1s on the register
- Registration
- N929B · registry record · serial 647
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS EN ROUTE TO HAVE A RADIO INSTALLED WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE MADE AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. WHEN THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE GROUND, THE MAIN ROTOR, TAIL ROTOR, TAIL BOOM, AND SKIDS WERE DAMAGED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT, BUT THE HELICOPTER RAN OUT OF FUEL SHORT OF THE AIRPORT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 393 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 310 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,525 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V4-178-B32 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: New Albany IN at 10:30 am
- Destination: Chicago IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 165°F (74°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:54 pm from LOU, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N929B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.